[DNS] domain name news - January 22

[DNS] domain name news - January 22

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au>
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:30:46 -0800 (PST)
Don't forget to check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, including an RSS feed - already online!


Headlines from the January 24 edition of the news include:
Google Balks at EU Take on IP Addresses | Europe: Your I.P. Address Is Personal | Is your Internet address "personal information"? | The IGF and Networked Internet Governance by Brenden Kuerbis | ICANN issues plea for liberty | The Future of ICANN (Again) by Milton Mueller | What Every Domainer Needs to Know About Trademarks before Registering Domain Names by Enrico Schaefer | Are domain names real property? Thoughts from Domainfest 2008 | Sedo report on growth of secondary domain name market in 2007 | Sedo Nearly Doubles Domain Name Sales Revenues in 2007 | bookmarks.com sells for 300k!


And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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European Parliament resolution on the second IGF in Rio
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2008-0041&language=EN

uk: Can broadband keep up with Postman Pat on demand?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/21/bbc.bbc

EU Official: IP Is Personal [AP]
http://news.smh.com.au/eu-official-ip-is-personal/20080122-1nax.html

ICANN Kill Two Birds with One Stone by Larry Seltzer
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/ICANN-Kill-Two-Birds-with-One-Stone/

ICANN: Possible ?Next Steps? in Dispute Resolution
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-11jan08.htm

au: Confusing .au.com domain threatens Aussie users
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Confusing-au-com-domain-threatens-Aussie-users/0,130061744,339285298,00.htm

210 million Internet users in China; 11.93 million domain names
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/90877/6341926.html

Nominet to hand out ?5m to online charity cases
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/17/nominet_foundation/

The Internet Is Down -- Now What?
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=internet_business&articleId=309873

CIA Admits Cyberattacks Blacked Out Cities
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205901631

FBI warns of rise in phone-based 'vishing' attacks [IDG]
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9057918

Sport.co.uk sells for ?135,000, Casino.co.uk ?3.0M
http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/21/sportcouk-sells-for-135000-casinocouk-30m/


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GOVERNANCE
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European Parliament resolution on the second IGF in Rio
The European Parliament have released a resolution on the recent Internet Governance Forum meeting in Rio de Janeiro. The resolution reads:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2008-0041&language=EN

uk: Can broadband keep up with Postman Pat on demand?
Three weeks ago, the BBC launched a neat application on its website called the iPlayer. It allows users to download BBC programmes from the last week on to their PC or to click and watch (if you are a Mac owner). In terms of expense, the amount of time it has taken to launch this service is broadly analogous to digging the channel tunnel. But just like anyone thrilled to be swooshing from St Pancras to Gare du Nord in a squeak over two hours, the iPlayer presents a similar thrill for those who hanker after genuine on-demand television. We can all afford to have selective memory syndrome in the face of limitless Cash in the Attic.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/21/bbc.bbc

Internet pioneer wins coveted prize
Two key figures in the creation of the Internet and a pioneer of genetics research were on Thursday named recipients of the Japan Prize, an annual award for contributions to science. American scholars Vint Cerf and Robert E. Kahn in the 1970s came up with the concept of TCP/IP protocols, which form the basis of the Internet by connecting and arranging networks.
http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2884&iArticleId=4210435

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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EU Official: IP Is Personal [AP]
IP addresses, string of numbers that identify computers on the Internet, should generally be regarded as personal information, the head of the European Union's group of data privacy regulators said Monday. Germany's data protection commissioner, Peter Scharr, leads the EU group preparing a report on how well the privacy policies of Internet search engines operated by Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and others comply with EU privacy law.
http://news.smh.com.au/eu-official-ip-is-personal/20080122-1nax.html
http://news.theage.com.au/eu-official-ip-is-personal/20080122-1nax.html
http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/292325.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/21/tech/main3734904.shtml

ITU board member for ICANN [news release]
Reinhard Scholl, Deputy to the Director of ITU?s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau has taken a seat on the ICANN board.
http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/newslog/PermaLink,guid,4ed6ee8b-73ec-4190-8ee2-55dff6a71015.aspx

ICANN Kill Two Birds with One Stone by Larry Seltzer
The problems of domain tasting and front-running are interrelated, and so are the solutions to them. The time has come for ICANN to mandate restock fees. I had a moment of clarity today (believe me, I need them). In the wake of the Network Solutions scandal over the company's employment of front-running and domain tasting, I've been talking to a lot of vendors and other interested parties. Front-running is a tricky problem that defies resolution. I've been inclined to blame ICANN, but that's unfair.
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/ICANN-Kill-Two-Birds-with-One-Stone/

ICANN: New-Look Meeting Participation Website Goes Live in Conjunction with New Delhi Schedule of Events
Colorful graphics and a modern design outfit this new-look website with improved functionality and usability for visitors. The site is not only an important resource for on-site meeting participants, but also an essential element for those who wish to participate remotely.
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-18jan08.htm

ICANN Seeks Expressions of Interest from Auction Design Experts
ICANN is seeking expressions of interest from entities experienced in developing and managing auction processes. ICANN has identified several areas where auctions might be an appropriate tool, such as the efficient disposition of data from terminated registrars and registries, the allocation of single-character second-level domain names, and perhaps, resolution of contention between competing commercial applicants for identical strings in the application process for new generic Top Level Domains.
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-18jan08.htm

Looking for Expertise in Auction Design
ICANN announced earlier today that it is seeking expressions of interest from auction design experts. ICANN has identified several areas where auctions might be an appropriate tool, such as the efficient disposition of data from terminated registrars and registries, the allocation of single-character second-level domain names, and perhaps, resolution of contention between competing commercial applicants for identical strings in the application process for new gTLDs.
http://blog.icann.org/?p=268

ICANN: Possible ?Next Steps? in Dispute Resolution
Following the posting of the Frameworks and Principles for Accountability and Transparency, ICANN published a document that countenances some possible additional improvements in dispute resolution mechanisms.
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-11jan08.htm

Exclusive Interview of Vint Cerf by Domaine.info
Right before that the ICANN's chairmanship transfer take place, Vint Cerf shares with our Team the history of his career.
http://www.domaine.info/content/view/1404/203/

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 - (cc)TLD NEWS
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.Asia Celebrity Pioneers Programme Launched [news release]
DotAsia Organisation announced the launch of its groundbreaking Celebrity Pioneer Program, offering celebrities worldwide the priority to register their name with .Asia before the public ?landrush? launch on February 20, 2008. Early adopters announced included the latest major motion picture release from the director of Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7. The movie will start to utilize ?www.cj7.asia? to promote its release in the next few months.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/01/22/asia-celebrity-pioneers-programme-launched/
http://www.domainnews.com/registries/2008012254/asia-celebrity-pioneers-programme-launched/

au: Confusing .au.com domain threatens Aussie users
A US based anti-spyware company has registered the ".com.au.com" domain name, which experts fear could be used by cyber-criminals to create more believable phishing attacks.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Confusing-au-com-domain-threatens-Aussie-users/0,130061744,339285298,00.htm

Domain name issues in Brazil
Domain name registration in Brazil has become more widely used as a means of disseminating information about businesses and for securing consumers. The domain name dispute policy has been important in giving companies and/or individuals a means to combat infringement practices. However, in Brazil, there has not been much guidance with statutory policies to determine how these disputes will be resolved.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=articles&id=4747F7D7-6B8C-41FC-95AC-80888A0BFD03

210 million Internet users in China; 11.93 million domain names
The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the "21st Report of China Internet Development" on January 17th in Beijing. By December 31, 2007, the total number of Internet users in China reached 210 million (only 5 million less than the United States); ranked second in the world; and the number is expected to become the world's largest in early 2008. ... The development of basic Internet resources is also "doing its part." By the end of December 2007, there were 135 million IP addresses in China; but compared with the basic needs of each IP address for one Internet user, the gap remains large. The report revealed that China's total number of domain names reached 11.93 million; and the annual growth rate is as high as 190 percent. There are 9 million national domain .CN names, increasing four times over the same period in 2006; and the daily growth of 20,000 is miraculous in the history of the domain name.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/90877/6341926.html

.FR has geographical significance
As France reaches a million domains, French registry AFNIC's General manager Mathieu Weill discusses .FR's current situation and what the future may have in store.
http://www.domainesinfo.fr/english/159/fr-has-geographical-significance.php

Afilias allows registration of .info domains with native Spanish characters [news release]
Afilias have announced they are allowing for the registration of .info domain names with native Spanish characters.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/01/21/afilias-allows-registration-of-info-domains-with-native-spanish-characters/
http://www.domainnews.com/aftermarket/2008012252/afilias-allows-registration-of-info-domains-with-native-spanish-characters/

.ME - the new domain that?s all about you!
Go Daddy, Afilias Global Registry Services and Me-Net are the successful tenderers chosen by the Montenegrin government to operate the .ME ccTLD. The successful tenderers have formed a new organisation called doMEn (the word for ?domain? in Montenegrin) which will act as the operational body with strategic oversight for the ccTLD.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/01/18/me-the-new-domain-thats-all-about-you/
http://www.domainnews.com/registries/2008012239/me-the-new-domain-thats-all-about-you/

Norway to open .NO to individuals?
Currently restricted to local companies, the Norwegian namespace could be opened up to individuals before the end of 2008.
http://www.domainesinfo.fr/english/158/norway-to-open-no-to-individuals.php

dot travel | The Rise And Fall Of A Brilliant Concept | By Jens Thraenhart
I wrote about ?dot travel? on my blog in the past, and just for the record, personally I still believe in the original dot travel concept, as well as the purity of the dot travel domain extension for travel and tourism related web addresses. However, I was saddened when I read the press release below, and I realized that the dot travel concept may have been killed by greed and short-term vision.
http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4034449.search

Nominet Comes of Age with the Formation of a Foundation to support UK Internet [news release]
Nominet today announces the creation of the Nominet Foundation, a charitable organisation that will fund education, research and development initiatives in the UK Internet industry. Having received backing of the Nominet board and broad support from the Nominet membership, The Foundation will aim to launch in Summer 2008 with a first year donation of ?5 million.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/releases/?contentId=4719

UK net causes to get cash boost
A ?5m fund is being set up to finance worthy causes dedicated to educating people about the net or researching how it is used. The cash will be given out by the Nominet Foundation - a charity set up by net registry Nominet.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7195618.stm

Nominet to hand out ?5m to online charity cases
Nominet has approved a plan to distribute its multimillion-pound surplus among "education, research and development initiatives" to benefit the UK internet community.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/17/nominet_foundation/

Nominet backs UK internet industry
Nominet announced the creation of a new organiastion, which it hopes will fund and encourage the development of education and research initiatives in the UK's internet industry. The Nominet Foundation is a charitable organisation set to launch this summer with an initial donation of five million pounds.
http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2207483/nominet-backs-uk-internet
http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/news/2207483/nominet-backs-uk-internet
http://www.iwr.co.uk/information-world-review/news/2207491/nominet-backs-uk-internet
http://www.computing.co.uk/itweek/news/2207483/nominet-backs-uk-internet

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 - DNS SECURITY
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The Internet Is Down -- Now What?
It?s likely that the Internet will soon experience a catastrophic failure, a multi?day outage that will cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars. Or maybe it isn?t likely. In any case, companies are not prepared for such a possibility. But then again, some are. These mixed messages come from credible sources. The confusion stems in part from the fact that the Internet has never seen anything much worse than local outages and brief slowdowns. But could it? And if it did, how ready would your company be?
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=internet_business&articleId=309873
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1631655655
http://computerworld.com.my/ShowPage.aspx?pagetype=2&articleid=7414&pubid=4&issueid=130

CIA Says Hackers Have Cut Power Grid
Criminals have been able to hack into computer systems via the Internet and cut power to several cities, a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency analyst said this week. Speaking at a conference of security professionals on Wednesday, CIA analyst Tom Donahue disclosed the recently declassified attacks while offering few specifics on what actually went wrong.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141564-c,hackers/article.html

Anti-spammer fined $60K for DNS lookup 'hack'
David Ritz, the veteran American spam-fighter, has been hit by $60,000 in fines plus lawyers fees after losing a civil suit that accused him of illegal hacking.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/17/anti_spam_activist_lawsuit/

Poisoned websites attack visitors
Thousands of small web shops have been unwittingly poisoned with malicious code that infects PC users who visit. Security experts said the sophisticated attack had succeeded on a larger scale than many other similar attacks. Once installed on a Windows machine the malicious code steals passwords, browser data as well as login names for bank accounts and online games. The attack is proving hard to defend against for both sites being hit and PC users who are caught out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7193993.stm

Cyber attack hits bank websites
In what is being billed as one of the most sophisticated cyber attacks to hit the Internet, a virus has been released that gets between computer users and their banking websites, giving thieves free rein to drain accounts and wreak financial havoc on their victims. Dubbed the "Silentbanker," the virus is a Trojan horse computer users may unknowingly download by simply browsing the Internet. The first sign it's at work may be a bank notification warning their client has been a victim of fraud.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=7f3cf367-e71a-4828-b770-4bcacf1cc39f&k=86382

CIA Admits Cyberattacks Blacked Out Cities
The CIA on Friday admitted that cyberattacks have caused at least one power outage affecting multiple cities outside the United States. Alan Paller, director of research at the SANS Institute, said that CIA senior analyst Tom Donahue confirmed that online attackers had caused at least one blackout. The disclosure was made at a New Orleans security conference Friday attended by international government officials, engineers, and security managers from North American energy companies and utilities.
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205901631

FBI rings warnings over VoIP phishing cons
Fraudsters are turning to VoIP systems to craft more convincing phishing attacks. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) warned last week of an "alarming" rise in the volume of so-called vishing attacks targeting US financial institutions and consumers.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/21/fbi_vishing_warning/

FBI warns of rise in phone-based 'vishing' attacks [IDG]
With consumers finally getting wise to phishing attacks, scammers are hitting the phones. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned Thursday that so-called "vishing" attacks are on the rise. These are scams where criminals send an e-mail or text message to a victim, saying there has been a security problem and the victim needs to call his or her bank to reactivate a credit or debit card.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9057918

Cyber Espionage: A Growing Threat to Business
Cyber espionage is getting renewed attention as fresh evidence emerges of online break-ins at U.S. research labs and targeted phishing against corporations and government agencies here and abroad.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/141474/cyber_espionage_a_growing_threat_to_business.html

DNS tools play key role in Hollywood thriller 'Untraceable'
When the FBI agents in Sony Pictures' upcoming "Untraceable" movie need to catch a killer, they turn to network technologies IT pros have been using for years, such as whois domain name lookup, traceroute and ping, via products developed by DNS tools vendor DNSstuff.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/011808-dns-tools.html
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;62740873;fp;2;fpid;1

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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in: HC restrains cyber squatter from using Anil Ambani's name
The Delhi High Court has transferred to ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani a domain name, which was used by a cyber squatter to spread false and misleading information about the group. The court restrained the squatter from using a website with the domain name "www.Anilambani.Com" saying it was a deliberate attempt to harm Ambani's business interest.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=6f94d79b-6a7a-4bd7-9e63-7e569f8eb275

Court orders website owner not to use Anil Ambani name [IANS]
The Delhi High Court Monday restrained a person from using the website domain name of Anil Ambani following a complaint by the industrialist that someone was spreading false and misleading information about his group.
http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=15472
http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/320345
http://in.news.yahoo.com/hindustantimes/20080122/r_t_ht_nl_general/tnl-court-restrains-ambani-netizen-7244580_1.html

12 Common Mistakes Made By Bad Faith Cybersquatters by Enrico Schaefer
Some cybersquatters register domains in bad faith as part of a business plan to monetize domains by leveraging famous trademarks and high-traffic web sites. Some cybersquatters just don?t understand the law. In this this tongue-in-cheek post, we provide a real world case study of the most common mistakes made by cybersquatters when registering trademark protected domains in bad faith. Below are some bullets for any cybersquatter to consider before engaging in this unlawful practice:
http://www.circleid.com/posts/81185_common_mistakes_by_cybersquatters/

ca: GAS consultant grabs opponent's web names
It seems when online battles are waged, every keystroke counts. In early December, Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS) launched a website promoting its vision for a ski resort north of Squamish. Its launch coincided with the release of the Save Garibaldi website, which was created by a group of local residents opposed to the project.
http://www.squamishchief.com/madison%5CWQuestion.nsf/0/88DF03B74AC4DFA2882573D300800A9E

Cybersquatters Hand Over Bebo.ie by Michele Neylon
I've spoken about cybersquatting in the IE namespace in the past. One of the domains that had been nabbed by EUBrowser was bebo.ie. While it's still pointing to their feeble attempt at explaining their connection to the name the whois has been updated:
http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/01/16/cybersquatters-hand-over-beboie/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Who will watch the registrars? [reg req'd]
Almost 2,000 years ago, the poet Juvenal posed the question, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" -- "Who will watch the watchers?" Juvenal was actually riffing on Plato's "Republic" and with a good reason: The question was, and still is, profound because it concerns a basic problem with the machineries of government and governance and, by extension, applies to any authority that has little or no oversight. In the IT world a great example of a lack of oversight of an authority is the situation that we have with Network Solutions Inc. (NSI). NSI is the domain name registrar that was allowed to have sole control over the .com, .net, and .org top-level domains up until 1999, and for which it gouged the public with the permission and support of ICANN.
http://www.itworldcanada.com/Pages/Docbase/ViewArticle.aspx?id=idgml-a9ac91a4-7759-46fd-8b91-640dfce3956a

Network Solutions Names W. Roy Dunbar as CEO [news release]
Network Solutions announced that Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Champ Mitchell and the Company?s Board of Directors have appointed W. Roy Dunbar to succeed Mr. Mitchell as Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Mitchell will continue with the Company as Chairman of the Board.
http://newsroom.networksolutions.com/2008/network-solutions-names-w-roy-dunbar-as-ceo/

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 - DOMAINING
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How Does Domaining Work? by Kyle Eslick
Over the coming week, I?ve written a series of posts that are designed to introduce you to the world of domaining. Because I?ve devoted a little time to discussing it on this website over the past month, I?ve been getting a lot of questions from my contact form asking for various tips, ideas, and even suggestions regarding domaining and existing domaining portfolios. These questions are welcome, but I figured it would be beneficial to write up a major overview and hopefully answer a lot of these questions in posts. If you have domaining questions, please hold off until after the series is over before sending them, as many will hopefully be answered throughout the posts scheduled throughout the rest of the week. After this week is done, feel free to then send your questions if I didn?t provide an answer. Good? Lets get started!
http://slickmania.com/how-does-domaining-work/

2008 Domain Name Wire Survey Input
It?s almost time for the 3rd Annual Domain Name Wire Survey. This annual survey helps get a finger on the pulse of the domain community, covering important trends and predictions for the future. Part of the survey includes selecting the best companies for particular services (e.g. registrar, parking). The number of domain service providers has exploded over the past couple years, and that?s where I need your help. For each of the categories below, please comment if I?ve left any major players off the list.
http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/18/2008-domain-survey-input/

Master of His Domains: Domain-name broker Ashley Saddul mediates the sale of some of the most valuable real estate on the Web.
If domain names are the real estate of the Web, then domain-name broker Ashley Saddul is a realtor who specializes in beachfront property. The founder, president, and C.E.O. of ImpressiveDomains, Saddul focuses on selling only premium names?generic words like asset.com and wallpapers.com that can?t be trademarked and can sell for at least $250,000. Saddul owns some of these names himself, but has built up his business by establishing relationships with the venture-capital-backed companies and other big buyers of domain names so that he can often get the best prices for them. ?Sellers would rather pay a 10 percent commission than do it on their own and possibly end up with less,? says the 37-year-old Saddul.
http://www.portfolio.com/careers/job-of-the-week/2008/01/21/Domain-Name-Broker

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 - AFTERMARKET
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Sport.co.uk sells for ?135,000, Casino.co.uk ?3.0M
British internet media company MediaCorp has purchased Sport.co.uk for ?135,000 (approximately $262,000 USD). The company plans to create a sports portal with the site.
http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/21/sportcouk-sells-for-135000-casinocouk-30m/

CNN Buys iReport.com for US$750,000
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference co-founder and pioneer domain investor Rick Schwartz has just completed the sale of iReport.com to the Cable News Network for $750,000
http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2008/dailyposts/01-17-08.htm

What Are Your Domain Name, Trademarks and Web Traffic Worth?
Most companies have yet to realize the value of their on-line property, comprised of their domain name, trademarks, brand names and established web traffic. Most on-line companies still don't realize how much value they have tied up in these elements of intangible property. Companies should protect their domain names, web presence and trademarks because they are valuable assets which will only increase in value over time.
http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2008/01/what-are-your-d.html

SnapNames Live Auction Full Catalog Released
SnapNames has released its catalog of premium domain names for the upcoming SnapNames Live(TM) Auction. This will be the organization's first live auction, to be held at DOMAINfest Global(TM), the premier domain name industry conference and marketplace running from January 21-23, 2008 at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, California.
http://www.domainnews.com/aftermarket/2008012243/snapnames-live-auction-full-catalog-released/
http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/01/19/snapnames-live-auction-full-catalog-released/

Keywords "more important" than domain names
Optimising keywords is a better route to site success than choosing a good domain name, according to one expert. Adam Wayland, editor of Smallbusiness.co.uk, asserts that while domain names are influential, the search engine optimisation benefits of keywords are hard to beat.
http://www.bluhalo.com/news/view/146/keywords-more-important-than-domain-names

Moniker.com Plays Matchmaker at iDate 2008 [news release]
Moniker is set to host a social networking and dating domain name auction at iDate 2008 and the Social Networking Conference, the premiere gatherings of executives from the online dating and social networking business.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/01/20/monikercom-plays-matchmaker-at-idate-2008/
http://www.domainnews.com/aftermarket/2008012247/monikercom-plays-matchmaker-at-idate-2008/

SnapNames Live(TM) Auction Full Catalog Released
The Company That Perfected Online Domain Auctions Moves into Live Events with a Highly Anticipated Selection of Premium Names on the Auction Block
http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/343171.html

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RESEARCH PAPERS
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OECD: High-speed broadband is changing people?s use of the Internet
The Internet is part of everyday life for a billion people and is driving major changes in people's lives. This study analyses the use of Internet and broadband in detail, showing that people?s socio-economic standing has a direct bearing on how they use the Web.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/44/11/39869349.pdf

OECD: Economic and social impacts of ICT: what do official statistics tell us?
Policy makers everywhere want to know about the social and economic impacts of ICT. This paper examines what official statistics tell us about these impacts and suggests areas for future work.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/43/25/39869939.pdf

OECD: Changing television markets
By changing the distribution model for video content, television delivered over Internet Protocol (IPTV) is increasing pressure for a review of broadcast regulatory frameworks so as not to stifle innovation and the diffusion of new services. This paper examines current market trends and regulation for IPTV and also provides information on developments in the provision of IPTV service in a number of OECD countries.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/23/39869088.pdf

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INTERNET USE
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Americans spend more time online, have positive view of the Net
Americans are spending more time online than ever before and many view the Internet as a more important source of information than TV, radio and newspapers, according to a new survey released today. Last year, Internet users in the U.S. spent an average of 15.3 hours per week online, up more than one hour per week since 2006, according to the survey (pdf format) by the University of Southern California's Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future. That was the highest level in the survey's seven-year history. Each year, The Digital Future Project surveys more than 2,000 people in the same U.S. households to find out how online technology affects users and nonusers.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9057701
http://www.digitalcenter.org/pdf/2008-Digital-Future-Report-Final-Release.pdf

Despite The Internet, Google Generation Lacks Analytical Skills
While the so-called "Google Generation" grew up with the Internet, having a sizable chunk of the world's information at their fingertips has failed to make them better thinkers, according to a university study. Young people born after 1993 are certainly familiar with computers and the Web and use both with ease, but a study conducted by the University College London found that they lacked the critical and analytical skills necessary to assess the information they found mostly through search engines.
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205901358

uk: One pound in six was spent online last year
One in six pounds spent shopping last year was spent on the internet. Online retail sales in 2007 were over 50% higher than in 2006, according to data from UK trade body the Interactive Media in Retail Group.
http://out-law.com/page-8811

Christmas online sales 'rise 50%'
UK online sales rose by more than 50% in the three months to Christmas, according to an industry survey.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7193714.stm

Thumbs Race as Japan?s Best Sellers Go Cellular
Until recently, cellphone novels ? composed on phone keypads by young women wielding dexterous thumbs and read by fans on their tiny screens ? had been dismissed in Japan as a subgenre unworthy of the country that gave the world its first novel, ?The Tale of Genji,? a millennium ago. Then last month, the year-end best-seller tally showed that cellphone novels, republished in book form, have not only infiltrated the mainstream but have come to dominate it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/world/asia/20japan.html

Child?s Play, From Clicks to Downloads
To all those traditional developmental stages in a child?s life, like learning to walk, talk and read, we can now add technological milestones like using a mouse, downloading music and surfing the Internet. This becomes clear from a new report by the NPD Group, a market research firm, that measures the amount of digital content that children consume for their entertainment each month. The ages covered are 2 to 14. These days, somewhere between talking and reading, many tiny toddlers are hoisting themselves up to a screen and making their first fumbling moves toward technological mastery.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/business/20count.html

YouTube Sucking In More Viewers
Online videos are becoming the primary form of media entertainment for many people. Web surfers spent about an hour more per month watching videos in November compared with January, according to the latest comScore Video Metrix. Specifically, they watched an average of 3.25 hours, or 195 minutes, of online video during the month, representing a 29 percent gain from 2.52 hours, or 151 minutes, watched in January 2007.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/YouTube-Sucking-In-More-Viewers-61287.html

Google Gains Video Viewing Market Share
Google's investments in YouTube and its own video search software are paying page view dividends. The search engine has gained more than 2 market share percentage points in online video watching, according to ComScore's latest compilation of monthly video watching. Google's online video market share grew to 31.3% from October to November.
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205901461

New York Times Bits Debate: Responding to Readers on Filtering
We?ve covered a lot of ground so far in our debate this week on copyright, piracy and digital filtering. Our debaters, Tim Wu, of Columbia Law School, and Rick Cotton, the general counsel of NBC Universal, have had a lot to say. What is amazing to me is how many very thoughtful comments we have gotten to the posts from all over the world. So rather than throw out an entirely new topic for the debate today, I?ve culled some of the more interesting ideas and questions that have been raised to throw back at the panelists to help clarify and sharpen the arguments. Because they are coming from such different places, I?ve asked different questions to each. Today?s batch relates to the topic of filtering of content by Internet service providers. I?ll do the same thing tomorrow related to the fair use discussion.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/bits-debate-responding-to-readers-on-filtering/index.html

210 million Internet users in China
The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the "21st Report of China Internet Development" on January 17th in Beijing. By December 31, 2007, the total number of Internet users in China reached 210 million (only 5 million less than the United States); ranked second in the world; and the number is expected to become the world's largest in early 2008.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/90877/6341926.html

China's Internet population tops 200 million [IDG]
The number of Internet users in China soared past 200 million in 2007, a new report from the country's quasi-government Internet overseer said Thursday.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/18/China-Net-population-tops-200-million_1.html

Number of Chinese internet users now 210 million, could overtake US this year [AP]
China's online population has soared to 210 million people and could surpass the United States this year to become the world's biggest, the government said Friday. The figure reported by the official China Internet Network Information Center was a 53 percent jump from 137 million Chinese Internet users reported at this time last year.
http://news.theage.com.au/china-says-number-of-internet-users-rises-to-210-million-could-overtake-us-this-year/20080118-1mru.html
http://news.smh.com.au/china-says-number-of-internet-users-rises-to-210-million-could-overtake-us-this-year/20080118-1mru.html

China flags crackdown on 'undesirable' online games [Reuters]
China said it would issue new rules cracking down on "undesirable" elements of online games amid fears of growing Internet addiction as the number of players soar, state media reported on Thursday.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6226599.html

Online news causes teenage angst
Do young people read news on the net? According to a US survey, they do. But it's the way they go about it that we need to take on board. Here is a key quote from one of the study's authors: "We found teens are unlikely to follow serious news online, but that they will click on news stories that appeal to them when they find them on other sites... Teen after teen told researchers that they'll view news stories 'if something catches my eye.'"
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/2008/01/online_news_causes_teenage_ang.html

Are newspapers a cleaner read online?
A provocative subject for someone who earns their crust in this particular sector. Tree-death in the guise of the dissemination of information (even the eco variety) doesn't get good press these days, whereas the internet gets much praise for being an ecologically virtuous alternative. This is a shame, because it's not altogether true. According to the recent report 'An Inefficient Truth' (incidentally, can we move on from this eco pun now?) by Global Action Plan, the UK's IT carbon footprint is similar to the aviation industry's.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,2242291,00.html

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Why brothers' Facebook homage to Scrabble spells L-A-W-S-U-I-T
It is Facebook's most popular game, giving 2.4 million Scrabble addicts worldwide a way to get their fix online. But the web addiction that is Scrabulous may be shut down after the makers of the board game claimed the electronic version was a breach of copyright. ... Experts say the real risk to Scrabulous is legal, not electronic. Hasbro last year sold the rights to publish Scrabble online to another company, Electronic Arts. The game has been one of the biggest money-spinners in toy history: 100m sets have been sold since its debut in the 1950s.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/17/internet.facebook.scrabulous

Fans fight for Scrabulous future
The threat to the hugely popular Scrabulous game has galvanised Facebook members into mounting a vigorous defence campaign. In little more than a day more than 13,000 people have signed up to a Save Scrabulous group on Facebook.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7193416.stm

Scrabulous rankles Scrabble's creators [AP]
The companies that make Scrabble are trying to shut down Scrabulous, an online version of the game that is one of the most popular applications on the social networking site Facebook.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/17/business/scrabble.php

Academia holds social study on social networking
First to Facebook were the teens. Then came the money, the market researchers and the media. And now come ... the academics. In the last six months, Rochester Institute of Technology scored $150,000 from the National Science Foundation to develop courses in computer-based social networking, Cornell got $2 million for research, and the University of Michigan added a "social computing" concentration to its School of Information. You can now major in MySpace, sort of.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080120/BUSINESS/439775054

nz: The dangers of Facebook
An alarming number of New Zealanders are putting themselves at risk of identity theft. Facebook is the gateway to the world - but you enter at your own risk.
http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/ScienceTechnologyNews/Story/tabid/412/articleID/43846/cat/73/Default.aspx

nz: Is Facebook evil? I don't think so
The Sunday Star Times really went to town on social networking website Facebook.com yesterday in an alarmist spread of stories that labelled the website "evil" and "part of a project by a small group of backers to spread their ideas of free-rule, borderless capitalism and extreme liberalism".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10487977

Unclear if latest YouTube craze has deep sociological meaning
I can't tell if I'm early or late to the MRirian craze. By the time I discovered the YouTube starlet -- yesterday afternoon, when she was flagged by Choire Sicha, who's heading up Kottke.org for a spell -- the video below, one of a few dozen she's posted during the last couple years, had already been seen about half a million times.
http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2008/01/18/youtube_meme/

From MySpace to YourSpace: MySpace's evolution under Murdoch
Two years ago, Chris DeWolfe, the co-founder and chief executive of MySpace, was talking about international expansion with Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corporation bought the social networking site in 2005. According to Mr. DeWolfe, an entrepreneur used to moving at Internet velocity, he suggested that MySpace could expand to ?four or five? countries in the next year. ?What about 13?? Mr. Murdoch said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/technology/21myspace.html

MySpace Bug Leaks 'Private' Teen Photos to Voyeurs
A backdoor in MySpace's architecture allows anyone who's interested to see the photographs of some users with private profiles -- including those under 16 -- despite assurances from MySpace that those pictures can only be seen by people on a user's friends list. Info about the backdoor has been circulating on message boards for months.
http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/01/myspace

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Study children and cell phones, experts advise [Reuters]
Researchers should study more children and pregnant women in trying to figure out if cell phones or other wireless devices could damage health, the U.S. National Research Council advised on Thursday.
http://www.news.com/2100-1039_3-6226723.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6226723.html

Mobile phone radiation wrecks your sleep
Radiation from mobile phones delays and reduces sleep, and causes headaches and confusion, according to a new study. The research, sponsored by the mobile phone companies themselves, shows that using the handsets before bed causes people to take longer to reach the deeper stages of sleep and to spend less time in them, interfering with the body's ability to repair damage suffered during the day.
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3353768.ece

Mobiles linked to disturbed sleep
Using a mobile phone before going to bed could stop you getting a decent night's sleep, research suggests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7199659.stm

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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ng: How Mobile Phones Can Transform Emerging Economies
If I had told you ten years ago that by the end of 2007 there would be an international network of wirelessly-connected computers throughout the developing world, you might well have said it wasn't possible. ... Along with the internet, with which it is rapidly merging, this is the most astonishing technology story of our time, and one that has the power to revolutionise access to information across the developing world.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4841&Itemid=0
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801210807.html

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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China asks help over Internet piracy
China said Thursday it faced "very big difficulties" coping with rampant piracy on the Internet and called for international help to make an ongoing crackdown more effective.
http://news.smh.com.au/china-asks-help-over-internet-piracy/20080117-1mkz.html
http://news.theage.com.au/china-asks-help-over-internet-piracy/20080117-1mkz.html

Britain, a destination for "libel tourism"
You're an investment bank in Iceland with a complaint about a tabloid newspaper in Denmark that published critical articles in Danish. Whom do you call? A pricey London libel lawyer. That is called libel tourism by lawyers in the media trade. And Britain remains a comfortable destination for the rich in search of friendly courts, which have already weighed complaints from people who consider themselves unfairly tarred with labels like tax dodger, terrorist financier or murky Qaeda operative.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/20/business/libel21.php

More Charges in MySpace Cyber Stalking Case
More charges have been filed in the case of a convicted hacker under federal supervision who allegedly hijacked an internet celebrity's MySpace account and demanded nude photos and "phone sex" for its return.
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/01/more-charges-in.html

nz: Huntly arrest a warning to net daters
Netsafe says the arrest of a Huntly man is a timely reminder for women to take precautions when meeting men on internet dating sites.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411419/1546175

China says struggling to control online piracy [Reuters]
China is struggling to contain a surge in online piracy, specifically cases involving the illegal downloading of movies, music and books, and needs tougher punishments, a senior official said on Thursday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKPEK3665020080117

FBI warns of rise in phone-based 'vishing' attacks [IDG]
With consumers finally getting wise to phishing attacks, scammers are hitting the phones. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center warned Thursday that so-called "vishing" attacks are on the rise. These are scams where criminals send an e-mail or text message to a victim, saying there has been a security problem and the victim needs to call his or her bank to reactivate a credit or debit card.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9057918
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/18/FBI-warns-of-rise-in-phone-based-vishing-attacks_1.html

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PRIVACY
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Google spars with European lawmakers over privacy [Reuters]
Google attacked European parliamentarians and privacy advocates on Monday for trying to have competition authorities consider the handling of personal information in its $3.1 billion takeover of rival DoubleClick.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL215785220080121
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6227031.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=55&objectid=10488104

Privacy Debate Runs Hot in Germany
Ten years ago, Germany introduced a highly controversial eavesdropping law, which was later overturned by the courts. A decade later, however, advocates argue people's right to privacy is continuing to be eroded.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3063735,00.html

Facebook faces privacy questions in UK
Facebook is to be quizzed about its data protection policies by the Information Commissioner's Office. The investigation follows a complaint by a user of the social network who was unable to fully delete their profile even after terminating their account.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7196803.stm

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CENSORSHIP
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us: Should AT&T police the Internet?
A decade after the government said that AT&T and other service providers don't have to police their networks for pirated content, the telecommunications giant is voluntarily looking for ways to play traffic cop.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6226523.html
http://www.news.com/2100-1034_3-6226523.html

China flags crackdown on "undesirable" online games [Reuters]
China said it would issue new rules cracking down on "undesirable" elements of online games amid fears of growing Internet addiction as the number of players soars, state media reported on Thursday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKPEK3508320080117

Chinese bloggers rise up over village killing
A wave of cyber-protest has forced Chinese authorities to act after a man was beaten to death for filming a scuffle between officials and villagers
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3211853.ece

Turkey Bans YouTube for Second Time [AP]
A Turkish court has again blocked access to the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube because of clips allegedly insulting the country's founding father, according to reports Sunday.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/20/turkey-bans-youtube-for-s_n_82406.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-01-20-turkey-youtube_N.htm
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004135840_apturkeyyoutube20.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/20/ap/middleeast/main3732957.shtml

Brazil bans popular video games seen to incite violence [AFP]
Brazil this week imposed a ban on popular role-playing computer games "Counter-Strike" and "EverQuest," claiming they incited violence and were "harmful to consumers' health."
http://news.smh.com.au/brazil-bans-popular-video-games-seen-to-incite-violence/20080119-1mv7.html
http://news.theage.com.au/brazil-bans-popular-video-games-seen-to-incite-violence/20080119-1mv7.html

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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uk: 'Parents don?t understand risks posed by internet'
Children cannot be protected from risk but parents must be educated in the dangers posed by the internet, the Government?s parenting guru has said. Tanya Byron, the clinical psychologist and television personality, described details of the report that Gordon Brown asked her to conduct into the impact of violent computer games and the internet on children.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3207399.ece

uk: Mobile firms face tough rules on internet access for children
A scheme to prevent children accessing pornography, gambling and other adult services on the latest mobile phones is to be reviewed by the telecoms regulator. The inquiry has been triggered by complaints from charities about the project, which was launched at the request of the Home Office. It could lead to the voluntary code being replaced with tough new rules.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article3221526.ece

uk: Soaring number of teachers say they are 'cyberbully' victims
Soaring numbers of teachers are calling helplines for advice on how to cope after being ?cyberbullied? on the internet by their pupils.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article3213130.ece

au: New laws cover red-light content in red tape
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will introduce changes to the regulation of restricted content available online and via mobile next week, despite an overwhelming negative response from the media and industry.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/New-laws-cover-red-light-content-in-red-tape/0,130061791,339285183,00.htm

Australian ISPs Oppose Filtering Legislation
ISPs in Australia have opposed an internet-filtering scheme to crack down on "objectionable material" on the internet. The Australian minister for broadband, Senator Stephen Conroy, last week asked all ISPs in Australia to filter "objectionable material" as defined by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. However, ISPs, IT managers, and civil liberties organization Electronic Frontiers Australia jointly rebutted the proposed legislation, saying it would be economically unfeasible to monitor and maintain.
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=4627C0D2-3CB3-4D10-B791-A649ADBF1BFF

Australia Restricted Access System Declaration 2007
New rules for restricting access to age restricted content (commercial MA15+ content and R18+ content) either hosted in Australia or provided from Australia will commence from 20 January 2008. The new rules made by ACMA on 20 December 2007 are specified in the Restricted Access System Declaration 2007 (PDF 38 kb, Word 127 kb), and in the Explanatory Statement to the Declaration (PDF 37 kb, Word 95 kb) and are made in accordance with the new regulation of content framework under Schedule 7 to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 which also commences on 20 January 2008.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1964
http://www.net4now.com/isp_news/news_article.asp?News_ID=6308

Australian government plans to censor net content
Internet freedom may be to be under threat in Australia when the new Labour government introduces censorship guidelines to combat child pornography and violent websites.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-6592.html

uk: Crackdown on schoolgirl bullying epidemic
An educational psychologist warns that bitchiness between girls can wreck lives, as the head of Cheltenham Ladies' College labels girls 'emotional dodgem cars': ... Jade suffered terribly for many months and felt that there was nowhere she could hide; not at home, not in her bedroom. Wherever she went she was bombarded with threatening text messages while internet sites such as Bebo or MSN would be filled up with nasty gossip. As the cyber-bullying swelled, girls she had once thought of as best friends were too afraid to walk alongside her at school or in the town.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2243671,00.html

Child porn case tests right against self incrimination
Can the government force you to reveal a password to unlock encrypted files on your computer that are known to contain child pornography? Or would doing so constitute a violate your Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination? That's the issue in front of a US federal district court in Vermont in what is believed to be the first case to test the issue in the U.S.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1316401982;fp;2;fpid;1
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1316401982;fp;2;fpid;1

Some of my best friends are cyberpenguins
One of the most valuable, yet bewildering, facets of parenthood is that it often makes you feel as if you have pressed an existential ?fast forward? button. Everything seems to happen so quickly. Personally, I feel as if I am still learning to breathe my way through that first contraction, but no. Here I am with a four-year-old and a seven-year-old, already, and the four-year-old wants her own Frank Sinatra CD ?because you godda love Frank?, and the seven-year-old wants her own e-mail address, so she can join Club Penguin.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/caitlin_moran/article3215915.ece

MySpace, States Sign Kids Online Safety Pact
MySpace Inc. and 49 state attorneys general last week culminated two years of discussions by agreeing to a new set of principles aimed at stepping up online safety on MySpace and other social networking sites.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=311249

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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eu: Reding distances herself from Sarkozy proposal to tax the Net
The European Union telecommunications commissioner, Viviane Reding, distanced herself Monday from a proposal by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to impose a tax on Internet and mobile phone access, saying it might not be the best way to expand access to new media.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/21/technology/reding.php

All of Singapore just a eclick away
As part of iGov2010 master plan the government is rolling out several E-initiatives to make the city state, as the most connected and the competent E-governed state. 8 December 2007 witnessed the launch of a mobile service that provides business users and citizens a convenient access to contact information of government agencies. The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) have jointly launched the service. The Singapore Government Directory Interactive (SGDI) mobile service is designed such that the information can be accessed via SMS. This is aimed to serve people constantly on the move who need information quickly.
http://www.ciol.com/EC/News-Reports/All-of-Singapore-just-a-eclick-away/21108102932/0/

UK communications act timetable revised
The culture secretary, James Purnell, has confirmed that he is likely to bring forward legislation to deal with rapid pace of change in the communications industry. Speaking at the Oxford Media Convention, Purnell said that with the advent of his new convergence thinktank, plus Ofcom's second review of public service broadcasting, the timetable for a new communications act will probably change.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/18/television.channel4

UK government targets extremist websites
The government will target extremist websites that "groom" terrorists, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said today, as part of the government's strategy of tackling radical groups. In her first major speech on terrorism, Smith said there was a consensus on the need to gather information about terrorist suspects; to protect Britain's borders and infrastructure; to prepare for terrorist incidents; and to prevent radicalisation.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2242273,00.html

UK home secretary targets internet extremism
The home secretary has outlined plans to target websites promoting extremism, as part of efforts to stop people being drawn towards radical groups. Jacqui Smith said she wanted to use technology to stop "vulnerable people" being "groomed for violent extremism". "Because something is difficult, that is no reason not to have a go at it," she added. "The internet can't be a no-go area for government."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7193049.stm

How online extremists evade capture
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3204806.ece

uk: Ways sought to combat militants on Web [Reuters]
The government wants the Internet industry to help combat militant Islamism on the Web in the same way it cooperates in fighting sex crime against children, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on Thursday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1770926220080117

UK Government continues to pressure ISPs for Internet filtering
On 8 January 2008, at the launching of the government consultation on new copyright exceptions, Lord Triesman, the UK minister for intellectual property, threatened the ISPs with the introduction of new legislation to force them to block illegal filesharing in case they cannot find a voluntary agreement together with the music and film industries by the end of summer.
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number6.1/uk-isp-filtering

uk: BBC is told it may have to share licence fee with other channels
The BBC could be forced to share the licence fee with rival broadcasters after the Government signalled that the corporation?s exclusive right to public funding would come to an end. James Purnell, the Culture Secretary, suggested that the ?3.4 billion licence fee could be carved up in future between the BBC and commercial broadcasters committed to making quality, public-service programmes.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3204551.ece

uk: Minister mulls sharing of BBC licence fee
James Purnell, the culture secretary, raised for the first time on Thursday the prospect of the BBC sharing its licence fee with other broadcasters and even internet content providers. Outlining possible findings of his department?s review of public service broadcast funding, which will form the basis of a new Communications Act in 2011, he said it would have to confront the ?huge elephant in the room?, the question of BBC funding.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c579bedc-c54f-11dc-811a-0000779fd2ac.html

Indian government set to tighten Cyber laws [UNI]
The Indian government said it will accomodate as many recommendations given by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology as possible to to deal with data crime, transmission of pictures and other kinds of cyber crime. "The department will accommodate most of the recommendations made by the Standing Committee. The IT law will be strengthened to deal with data crime, transmission of pictures and other kinds of cyber crime," Minister of State for Telecommunications Shakeel Ahmed told reporters while inaugurating Electronics and Information Technology Exposition (ELITEX) 2008 here.
http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG5_sub.asp?ccode=ENG5&newscode=12787

EU readying next round of phone charge battles
Last May, lawmakers passed the European Union's first price controls on mobile phone calling charges, sharply reducing the roaming fees Europeans have to pay when traveling within the 27-country bloc. Now lawmakers in Brussels have begun work on a new set of proposals to regulate the European telecommunications industry, with controls on two other prices - the wholesale fees carriers charge one another and the retail mobile data charges - possible this year.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/20/technology/mobile21.php

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FILE SHARING
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au: Internet cafes clean out after raid
A raid by the Australian Federal Police on an internet cafe in the Sydney CBD, which allegedly offered large volumes of pirated music and movies for sale, has forced competing cafes to clean up their act swiftly.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/17/1200419959751.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/17/1200419959751.html

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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Google Spreads Its Wealth to World-Improving Projects
Putting its money where its mouth is -- and where its corporate parent's future may lie as well -- Google's charitable arm, Google.org, on Thursday announced $25 million worth of new grants across what it now says are the five core areas that it will focus on going forward. Google.org will concentrate its monetary giving and related work on the five areas, including three new focuses: the prediction and prevention of catastrophic events; using information to improve public services around the world; and fostering the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Google-Spreads-Its-Wealth-to-World-Improving-Projects-61256.html

Google.org Opens Its Wallet--A Little
Google.org, Google's philanthropic venture, has started stating its ambitions and placing some of its $2 billion in funding. In keeping with the search giant's style, the initial investments are low and the ambitions are global. Google.org's five "core initiatives" over the next five to 10 years include identifying infectious diseases and droughts early in their spread; getting information on essential public services to poor populations in developing nations; promoting growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the developing world.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/17/google-philanthropy-disease-tech-cz_qh_0117googorg.html

Q&A: A 'Do-Googler' Takes Aim At Big Problems
Google does not fancy itself a typical company, so no surprise that its $2 billion philanthropic arm, Google.org, a corporation that makes grants and for-profit investments, aims to be different. Like Google, it thinks big. Its aims include solving climate change with electric power generation at prices cheaper than coal; ending global poverty by fostering small businesses and raising awareness of social services; and eradicating new diseases with better information sharing and search. Sheryl Sandberg, Google's vice president of online sales and operations, and a founding Google.org board member, spoke with Forbes' Silicon Valley bureau chief Quentin Hardy about what Google.org hopes to do.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/17/google-philanthropy-sandberg-tech-cz-qh_0117googqa.html

Google starts living up to a pledge
Google said Thursday that it had come up with a plan that began to fulfill the pledge it made to investors when it went public nearly four years ago to reserve 1 percent of its profit and equity to "make the world a better place."
http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/17/business/google.php

Doing philanthropy the Google way
Even in philanthropy, Google follows its own rules. With its funding of renewable energy and early warning systems for drought and infectious diseases, Google.org is innovating and disrupting the world of corporate philanthropy just like Google did by turning online ads into big business, pushing desktop data into the Internet cloud, and jumping into the mobile and wireless spectrum industries.
http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6226728.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6226728.html

Nation of hoarders: 30 million PCs rot in Australia
In 2008, seven million PCs will be available for recycling. Of those, just 500,000 will be recycled, 1.6 million will be sent to landfill, and the remaining 5.4 million PCs will collect dust in garages. ZDNet Australia asks why Australians treat old PCs like last night's leftovers by covering, storing and deferring the purge until the item's value flatlines.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/soa/Nation-of-hoarders-30-million-PCs-rot-in-Australia/0,130061702,339284960,00.htm

uk: Schools sign up for software to tackle internet plagiarism
More than 100 schools and colleges have turned to the computer software universities use to combat plagiarism because of growing alarm at sixth-form pupils cheating in their coursework.
http://education.guardian.co.uk/1419education/story/0,,2243323,00.html

What Bugs Apple Fans
It was a moment that showed the two sides of Steve Jobs. It was the mid-1990s, before Jobs' triumphant return to the company he founded. Newton Munson rode in an elevator with Jobs and two of his employees at NeXT, the computer company Jobs founded after leaving Apple. Jobs was telling the pair off. Loudly. Munson was going to speak up, but then he thought better of it. The feisty Jobs was giving their work his full attention, Munson realized. "That probably was a wonderful day for them," says Munson, now director of information technology and networking services at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and one of thousands of Apple fans who gathered this week at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/18/jobs-apple-passion-tech-personal-cx_bc_0118jobs.html

Are you suffering from password pressure?
Few things make you feel more helpless than sitting blank-faced at a screen, looking at a flashing cursor and a message saying "PASSWORD INCORRECT" in a disapproving tone. But that was the one for your bank, wasn't it? Or was it? And if it was, then what's your eBay one, again?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/17/security.banks

Yahoo! seeks an end to multiple logins
The curse of needing a separate login and password for different websites may soon be a thing of the past. Yahoo! has announced that it will put its weight behind a system that allows users to have a single sign-on for any website which requires registration.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3206110.ece

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
au: Telstra vows to contiune OPEL $1 billion fight [AAP]
Telstra has decided to continue fighting its legal battle with the Federal government over the granting of a $958 million rural broadband contract to the OPEL consortium.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Telstra-vows-to-contiune-OPEL-1-billion-fight/0,130061791,339285242,00.htm
http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/01/18/Telstra_to_continue_battle_against_government

au: Telstra's CDMA cut-off gets Ministerial reprieve
The CDMA cut-off date has been pushed back several months after the Federal Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, said on Friday that he was not convinced as yet of the "equivalence" between Telstra's Next G and older CDMA network.
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;395879005
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;395879005;fp;2;fpid;1
http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;395879005;fp;4194304;fpid;1
http://reseller.co.nz/reseller.nsf/news/0AD14940D9F350C0CC2573D700034B1F

au: Bad luck, Sol: government overrules CDMA switch-off
The planned January 28 closure of the regional CDMA mobile network has been deferred until April 28, offering signal-starved rural phone users a temporary reprieve and delivering Telstra its first governmental bitch slap for 2008.
http://www.apcmag.com/7865/bad_luck_sol_government_overrules_cdma_switch_off

Feds delay Telstra CDMA switch-off for 3 months [AAP]
Telstra's switch-off of the CDMA network has been delayed at least three months, after the federal government ruled Next G's performance in the bush was not up to scratch.
http://www.wabusinessnews.com.au/en-story/1/60062/Feds-delay-Telstra-CDMA-switch-off-for-3-months
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Telstra-cannot-close-CDMA-til-April-Minister/0,130061791,339285250,00.htm

Farm group casts doubt over delayed CDMA closure
A Western Australian farming group has questioned the merits of postponing the closure of Telstra's CDMA network, saying it is only delaying the inevitable.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/21/2142740.htm

Federal govt keeps CDMA for now [AAP/staff]
The federal government has postponed the closure of the CDMA network because of problems with hand-held telephone coverage under Telstra's new Next G network.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Federal-government-keeps-CDMA-for-now-AY83W

The pros and cons of Telstra's move to CDMA
TELSTRA is urging remaining CDMA customers to carefully consider which handset they select when moving from CDMA to the Telstra Next G(tm) network and to use Telstra's Blue Tick handsets if living or travelling in rural Australia.
http://bega.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/the-pros-and-cons-of-telstras-move-to-cdma/1164912.html

Conroy delays CDMA death row
Telstra?s plans to shut down its CDMA service has hit a hurdle, with Federal Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, saying he is yet to be convinced that Telstra's Next G network is ready to take over as the telco?s rural mobile service.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=68554

Telstra Invests $21m To Expand Next G Coverage
More suburbs are set to receive Telstra Next G mobile network coverage by the end of March in a $21 million expansion by the telco to add 40 new locations Australia-wide.
http://www.smartofficenews.com.au/Communication/F7J4T3J9
http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Home_Office/Broadband_And_Web_Hosting/F7J4T3J9

Govt Rules Telstra Must Delay CDMA Cut-off
The government has ruled that Telstra?s outgoing CDMA network will continue to operate for an extra three months beyond its original cut-off date, due to reports that customers are experiencing "issues" with Next G ? the network which will be replacing the outdated model -- in terms of not fully understanding either the equipment or the means in which they can make the transition to the new network.
http://www.smarthousenews.com.au/Communication/Mobile_Phones?Article=/Communication/Mobile%20Phones/P5Q4H3D9

CDMA Victims Get Hotline, Replacement Phones
Telstra has established a telephone hotline to help its mobile phone subscribers move from CDMA to Next G - and executives say they're willing to replace handsets where necessary.
http://www.smartofficenews.com.au/Communication/U3T5C6D6
http://www.smarthousenews.com.au/Communication/Mobile_Phones?Article=/Communication/Mobile%20Phones/U3T5C6D6

Hotline for Next G handset woes
Telstra has set up a hotline for customers experiencing problems with its Next G handsets.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/22/2143711.htm

Telstra sets up hotline for CDMA issues
A telephone hotline has been established to assist Telstra's mobile phone customers make the move from CDMA to Next G.
http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/01/21/Telstra_sets_up_hotline_for_CDMA_issues

Telstra's Next G hotline
In response to the postponement of the scheduled shutdown of its CDMA network, Telstra has announced the establishment of a hotline to assist customers who are experiencing difficulty with Next G reception after switching services and handsets.
http://www.cnet.com.au/mobilephones/0,239025893,339285281,00.htm

Telstra sets up hotline for CDMA issues
A telephone hotline has been established to assist Telstra's mobile phone customers make the move from CDMA to Next G.
http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/telstra_sets_up_hotline_for_cdma_issues_538510

Government postpones Telstra CDMA network closure
The new federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has stepped in to postpone the closure of Telstra's CDMA network, which was scheduled to be cut off on January 28. The network will now stay online until April 28, subject to government approval of Telstra'a Next G network's performance in the bush.
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2008/01/22/government_postpones_telstra_c.html

nz: Telecom's broadband plan under scrutiny
Telecom's plan to increase broadband speeds by shortening the copper loops connecting homes to the internet has come under further scrutiny in a report released by internetNZ.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=93&objectid=10488036

Meeting to establish global standards for IPTV industry
More than 1,200 IPTV-oriented companies have met in Seoul, Korea to work on the next phase of efforts to establish global standards for the IPTV industry. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) anticipates that a consensus on standards will increase simplification and integration for IPTV manufacturers, service providers and customers.
http://www.iptv-watch.co.uk/18012008-meeting-to-establish-global-standards-for-iptv-industry.html

**********************
MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
us: FCC Resumes Testing of Internet Devices [AP]
Federal regulators said they will try again to test prototypes on Jan. 24 for transmitting high-speed Internet service over unused television airwaves.
http://news.smh.com.au/fcc-resumes-testing-of-internet-devices/20070809-saa.html
http://news.theage.com.au/fcc-resumes-testing-of-internet-devices/20070809-saa.html

Are Cell Phone Health Issues Really Settled? [Reuters]
Researchers should study more children and pregnant women in trying to figure out if cell phones or other wireless devices could damage health, the U.S. National Research Council has advised.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141507-c,cellphones/article.html

**********************
VoIP
**********************
2008 - the year VoIP gets hacked?
With VoIP rapidly becoming a commodity feature in everything from TV set-top boxes to barcode scanners, Sipera's VIPER Lab predicts that 2008 will be the year it all goes pear-shaped - a prediction borne out by Cisco's first security fix of the year.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/17/voip_security_2008/

FBI rings warnings over VoIP phishing cons
Fraudsters are turning to VoIP systems to craft more convincing phishing attacks. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) warned last week of an "alarming" rise in the volume of so-called vishing attacks targeting US financial institutions and consumers.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/21/fbi_vishing_warning/

**********************************
ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
**********************************
au: Man arrest over child pornography
Detectives from the Cyber Predator Team have charged a 29-year-old man with possessing child pornography.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/080118/21/15kdt.html

au: South West man charged after child porn find
A 29-year-old man from WA?s South West has been charged after a sting involving WA cyber predator detectives and Australian Federal Police agents.
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=146&ContentID=55040

au: Prosecutor caught with child porn walks out of jail
The disgraced former NSW deputy Crown prosecutor Patrick Power walked to freedom yesterday after six months of isolation in Long Bay jail and publicly apologised for indulging in child pornography.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/18/1200620210414.html

au: Child porn prosecutor freed from jail [AAP]
DISGRACED former NSW crown prosecutor Patrick Power apologised today when he was released from a Sydney jail after serving six months for possessing child pornography.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23070984-911,00.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/18/2141385.htm
http://au.news.yahoo.com/080118/21/15k9b.html

au: Backpacker refused bail over child porn [AAP]
A German backpacker who allegedly entered Australia carrying hundreds of child pornography images on his computer hard drive has been refused bail.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/080121/2/15l1m.html
http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=452984

au: Man charged with using internet to lure NZ girl
A 43-year-old Canberra man has been arrested for internet offences involving a 14-year-old girl in New Zealand.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/22/2143501.htm

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(c) David Goldstein 2008

 
--------- 
David Goldstein
 address: 4/3 Abbott Street
           COOGEE NSW 2034
           AUSTRALIA
 email: Goldstein_David &#167;yahoo.com.au
 phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home)
 
"Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery





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Received on Thu Jan 24 2008 - 12:30:46 UTC

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